Hitchhiking robot 'hitchBOT' displayed at Canadian museum

OTTAWA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The tale of hitchhiking robot hitchBOT comes to an end, as the robot will be retired and put on display in a Canadian museum.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum will become hitchBOT's new home when it reopens in Nov. 2017 and adds the robot to its permanent collection.

"We are pleased that our first hitchBOT will be included in the permanent collection of Science and Technology Museum, providing an ongoing opportunity for visitors to learn about and interact with the project," co-creators Frauke Zeller and David Harris Smith said in a press release.

Not to be confused with the 2015 model, which met an unpleasant end at the hand of muggers in Philadelphia, this hitchBOT was created in 2013 and embarked on a more successful 26 day journey across Canada.

Museum curator Tom Everrett told the CBC that hitchBOT's creators opted to retire the robot, rather than remove stickers placed on it during its journey while performing an upgrade.

While hitchBOT will live at the museum, Everett said he still intends to "take it out on the road."